The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c10.s3.10

c10.s3.10

Who could save the Hindus from extinction in such a scenario? Obviously, leaders of the society, the Brahmans. What the Brahmans as protectors of their culture achieved in those days, writes Wilhelm von Pochhammer, has never been properly recorded, probably because a considerable number of people belonging precisely to this class had been slaughtered. If success was achieved in preserving Hindu culture in the hell of the first few centuries, the credit undoubtedly goes to the Brahmans. They saw to it that not too many chose the cowardly way of getting converted and that the masses remained true to the holy traditions on which culture rested⁹² Muslim kings knew this and treated the Brahmans sternly, restricting their sphere of activity.⁹³ The Muslim Mashaikh were as keen on conversions as the Ulama, and contrary to general belief, in place of being kind to the Hindus as saints would, they too wished the Hindus to be accorded a second class citizenship if they were not converted. Only one instance, that of Shaikh Abdul Quddus Gangoh, need be cited because he belonged to the Chishtia *Silsila* considered to be the most tolerant of all Sufi groups. He wrote letters to Sultan Sikandar Lodi,⁹⁴ Babur⁹⁵ and Humayun⁹⁶ to re-invigorate the Shariat and reduce the Hindus to payers of land tax and *Jiziyah*.⁹⁷ To Babur he wrote, Extend utmost patronage and protection to theologians and mystics that they should be maintained and subsidized by the state No non-Muslim should be given any office or employment in the Diwan of Islam. Posts of Amirs and *Amils* should be barred to them.